Domestic EICR worth time and money? Help please?

purplebutterfly

We're waiting on our full survey but the surveyor did phone us just to mention a couple of the bigger issues he found including a recommendation that we get an EICR.

The property is 1920's, 4 bedroom semi detached and the owner has built a garden room onto the back of the property which encloses an external toilet and utility room in an attached outbuilding.

There are two separate fuse boxes - one for the house, one for the outbuilding and garden/garage.   The surveyor recommends an EICR as the main consumer unit is about 16 years old (which is doesn't seem too problematic)  but mainly because the self-built lean-to has lights in the roof and the surveyor thinks that any water ingress through the bitumen flashing will be very dangerous.  

I know that the EICR will say things aren't up to current regulations but I also know that doesn't necessarily mean they are unsafe.

I am happy to pay the £250 for a full EICR but will it actually help or just tell me EVERYTHING needs fixing because of age etc?  I've read some other posts where the EICR said things were C1 but MSE folk said they disagreed.

Hasbeen

Some are  danger present and potentially dangerous.
I would personally get it done.

Unsatisfactory Codes are:

• C1 – Danger present, risk of injury, immediate remedial action required
• C2 – Potentially Dangerous, urgent remedial action required
• FI – Further investigation required

A Satisfactory Code is:

• C3 – Improvement recommended

tacpot12

The EICR should be specific about what is wrong, which regulation is not complied with and how dangerous the faults are, using the C1/C2/C3 codes.

The EICR is not just useful the moment you have it done, but also, say in 10 years time, if you were to have another EICR done, you would be able to see the rate at which the insulation was deteriorating, if at all.  The EICR will pick up problems that can't be seen with the naked eye, so I would encourage you to have it done at some point. You could get it done soon after you have bought the house if you don't want to do it now.  

fiveacre

Of all the additional checks and surveys I think EICR is one of the most useful. If done properly it goes into a lot of useful, specific detail and will give a good view of the overall state of the electrics, some insight into the quality of any extensions/outbuildings, and a list of actions that would be needed should you wish to bring the installation up to today's standards.

dimbo61

Your buying a 1920,s four bed semi !
It won't be up to modern standards unless rewired in the last 2/3 years to the 18th edition electrics.
When you viewed the property did you look at the sockets ? how many in each room ?Light fittings and switches ?
Metal fuse box with WIRE or plastic fusebox with RCB/MCB.
The latest Metal fuse boxes have rcbo,s 
You may need to factor in the cost of a complete rewire 
It won't tell you anything about the condition of the extension or the roof